NEW DELHI: The Govt will bring forward a comprehensive legislation to amend the official secrets act Indian minister of state for home M M Jacob told the Lok Sabha Friday.
Replying to a discussion on a constitution amendment bill moved by FB member Chitta Basu on the right to information Jacob said the Govt was fully in agreement with the member.
“We don’t want to hide anything”. The minister said He said an inter-ministerial study group was going into the issue.
Jacob said except for issues related with the security of the country the Govt did not want to hide anything from the people. He said there was a need to strike a balance a compromise on what information could be held and what could be allowed to be published
“We have to give a serious thought to this issue Jacob said.
Basu had moved a non-official bill demanding the right to information as a fundamental right should be appropriately incorporated in the constitution.
In his intervention deputy minister for home Ramlal Rahi said nothing would be achieved by allowing access to information directly concerned with the security of the country. However he said too much secrecy was not good
Chitita Basu withdrew the bill.
Members emphasized the need to amend the official secrets act of 1913.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 20, 1991
